New technology planned for Alstom Citadis LRVs

Alstom and Williams Hybrid Power Thursday announced they have signed an agreement to apply Williams Hybrid Power's energy storage technology to Alstom's Citadis light rail transit (LRT) vehicles by 2014.

The two companies companies will "work together to adapt and develop an energy storage solution that has the potential to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of Alstom's rolling stock."

Originally developed for the 2009 Williams Formula One car, Williams Hybrid Power's energy storage technology has since been introduced into applications such as London buses. The companies say the technology offers fuel savings and emissions reductions by harvesting the energy that is normally lost as heat when braking and turning it into additional power. "It is ideally suited to trams [LRT vehicles] because of their stop-start nature and high mass. Furthermore, the flywheel's rotor is made of composite material which is inherently safe because there is no metallic structure travelling at very high speed," the two companies said.

"As a world leader in rail transport technology, Alstom is continuously looking to challenge and improve the energy efficiency of its trains," said Alstom Transport Innovation Director Dominique Jamet. "We are proud to announce the collaborative project with Williams Hybrid Power that aims to deliver an innovative solution that does not only save energy but also re-use it to add more power to the tram while reducing energy use and CO2 emissions."

Ian Foley, Managing Director of Williams Hybrid Power Managing Director Ian Foley said, "From the very beginning we highlighted trams as an ideal application for our technology and to be collaborating with the market leader on this project is very exciting. We both share a common goal – developing the next generation of green transport technologies – and this agreement will hopefully prove pivotal in finding a solution that not only cuts carbon emissions but crucially cuts costs for the end user.'